


side a

by wubling



Series: Camp Sanders AU [2]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders - RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Children, Crushes, Crying, Domestic, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Makeovers, Makeup, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 18:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11973213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wubling/pseuds/wubling
Summary: Little Thomas finds out that Virgil has a crush on Roman. Virgil begs him not to tell anyone, but Thomas figures that Patton is all about love and affection, so what would be the harm in letting the cheeriest camp counselor in on the little secret?





	side a

**Author's Note:**

> Once again I've returned with some Sanders Sides love! And a ship other than Logicality being included? On MY ao3? It's more likely than you think
> 
> The description of makeovers is based on my own limited experience of wearing makeup and I don't do it often so please excuse any errors! 
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

It was a special day at Camp Sanders. The children of the summer day camp were having a bit of a celebration for Independence Day, so rather than the usual team-ups and group activities, Roman had decided to perform a short skit to commemorate the occasion. It seemed difficult to portray the entirety of the founding fathers with just him, Logan, and Patton, but Roman was determined to try.

Thomas liked watching the three dance around in powdered wigs. He also liked drinking lots of lemonade during the performance, so he had to duck out about halfway through to find the bathroom. As soon as he finished, he walked back to the makeshift stage, but was surprised when he saw the fourth counselor.

_'Is that Virge? Didn't he say he didn't wanna be in the play?'_ wondered Thomas. Since Virgil was peeking from around the corner of a tree, Thomas figured he was being secretive. He hopped behind a bush and sat in the dirt.

Using all of the deductive reasoning an eight-year-old can muster, Thomas watched. Virgil seemed very interested in the play. Thomas could see a bit of his face, eyes brighter than he'd ever seen. Virgil was the grumpy one, right? He wasn't getting the counselors mixed up somehow, was he?

Then Virgil suddenly seemed to sink back a bit. He pulled out his phone and tapped at it. He glanced up every now and then, but was no longer invested. What changed? Hoping to find out, Thomas leaned over so he could see the play better. Patton was singing a silly song about Monticello while Logan awkwardly bobbed up and down. Thomas had to fight back a giggle. Then, as Roman practically leaped back into the scene, Virgil's head snapped up and he was watching again. Thomas observed as the pattern continued. As Logan might say, he had gathered enough data.

Thomas tried not to scare Virgil when he approached. He waved a bit when he stepped closer to the tree. Virgil didn't notice right away, though. He was so busy staring at the other counselor that Thomas couldn't even get him to look over by jumping. Or flailing his whole arms. Or making vague clapping motions but not making any noise because he didn't want to get anyone else's attention.

Finally, he gave up on subtlety. He quickly shuffled over and gave Virgil a light smack to the arm. Virgil yelped and glared, but Thomas assured him in a whisper,

"I tried to get your attention without noise! You wouldn't look at me!"

Virgil sighed. "God, sorry, okay? Did you need something?"

"Shh!" Virgil cocked an eyebrow at this, but Thomas just looked determined, so he gave in and knelt so Thomas could whisper in his ear. "Why are you staring at Roman so much?" the boy asked.

Virgil sputtered. "Wh- I'm not! Y-You think I'd want to watch HIM? No, no, we're co-counselors, barely even friends, no..." Thomas raised his eyebrows. "...That obvious, huh?" Virgil sunk back a bit. He buried his face in his hands, feeling his cheeks burn under his pale foundation. "If it's obvious to a frickin' eight year old..."

"Hey!" Thomas protested. "I'm a big kid!"

"Sure you are, buddy. A-Anyway, what does it matter if I'm staring at him?"

"Do you like him? Ooooh, do you _like_ like him?"

Virgil's hand shot up and covered Thomas's mouth. "Shush! No! How do you even know about that? Whatever, just stop!" He looked back at the play. The audience was still watching the performance and/or zoning out. The counselors were finishing off the last act. Thankfully, no one could hear Virgil's desperate attempts at keeping a low volume. "Please, dear lord, do _not_ mention it to anyone!"

Thomas reached up to remove Virgil's hand. Virgil wasn't really gripping at all, so he freed his mouth easily. "Not even Patty? He's really nice about liking people."

" _Especially_ not Patty!" He'd...probably make things worse somehow!" Virgil shook his head. "Look, just forget it. I'm supposed to be worried about you and your safety. That's my job. You don't have to be concerned about who I like-like. Your job is to run around and have fun and probably break an arm or two. Okay?"

"Okay."

Virgil narrowed his eyes. "Thomas, do you understand? You won't tell anyone?"

"Not a one."

"Not even Patty?"

Thomas gave Virgil's hand a few pats. "Not even Patty."

* * *

"He likes Roman? _Roman_?"

Thomas could suddenly see what Virgil was talking about. The play had ended about fifteen minutes ago and many kids were being sent home, but since Thomas's parents were so busy that day, Patton offered to watch Thomas at the camp for an extra hour or two before they could come get him. Now that they were alone, Thomas figured he could confide in the silly camp counselor, maybe tell him what he had just learned about Virgil. Like he said before, Patton was good with this stuff, right?

He guessed he never really knew that Patton could be so...loud. Loud and excited.

"You know, I always told that Debby Downer that he would find someone someday. I don't think he ever believed me but Papa Patton knows his stuff, let me tell you! Why, just the other day Roman told me that Logan might have a crush on someone and if that can happen to a computer on legs then surely it can happen to Virgil, that's what I said, and to think that it was Roman himself that Virgil liked, well it's just-"

Thomas waved his hands frantically. "Patty, please! Shh!" He put a finger to his lips. "I wasn't even supposed to tell _you_! If Roman or Logan found out, Virge would be so mad at me!"

Patton giggled. "Sweetie, I dunno if Virgil even has it in him to be mad at you. But you're right, you're right, my lips are sealed!" He demonstrated the classic zipping-your-lips-and-tossing-the-key motion. "I've gotta make a plan, though...what do youths bond over these days? Chocolate shakes? Pokémon cards? Dabbing?"

"Aren't you the same age as them?"

"Man, I cannot keep up with the kids."

Thomas tilted his head. "What are you even planning for?"

Patton ruffled the camper's hair. "Thomas, Thomas, Thomas...isn't it obvious?" It was clear by the face he was getting that no, it was not obvious. "I wanna try to set them up together! Virgil's too shy to just _tell_ Roman his feelings, but maybe I can do something to push them in the right direction!"

"Oh! One time I saw a TV show where the girl wanted a guy to like-like her and her friends did her makeup and stuff! Then they went on a date!"

"Now Thomas, I don't want you thinking that changing what you look like or who you are is the right way to get someone to like you..." Patton stopped to ponder. "...but I would like an excuse to see Virgil in mascara. So why not? Let's give it a shot! As long as we still make him look like himself!"

Thomas grinned wide. "A makeover! I've never done one before!"

"I'll have to find the emergency makeup kit in the storage closet...I know it's in there somewhere."

They both raced each other to the cabin. Once Thomas reached the front door, quite ahead of Patton he'd add, he realized that it was locked and that he still needed to wait for the other to get there. Patton mumbled, "That's strange," under his breath, but it didn't deter them otherwise. He unlocked the door with his cabin key. Then, while he headed for the closet in the back, Thomas decided he'd investigate the area to make sure Roman wasn't around.

Thankfully, Roman was still outside cleaning up the stage area with Logan. Thomas was glad to see this, but he was even more glad when he realized Virgil was inside the cabin with them. He was sitting on a counter in the kitchen with his back hunched as he tapped away at his phone. He seemed like he was brooding. Brooding wasn't something Thomas understood very well.

"Virge!" Virgil tensed up in surprise. "How come the door was locked?"

Virgil looked away. Thomas leaned to the side to try to meet his eyes, but it was no use. "I just wanted to be alone, Thomas. Go back outside with Patton."

"But Patton isn't outside...? He's the one that unlocked the door."

Virgil finally turned, revealing the dark streaks going down his face. "What?"

"Thomaaaas, I found the makeup kit!" Patton ran over to Thomas excitedly. As soon as he saw Virgil though, he dropped the bag and ran up to him. Thomas, not sure of what was going on, picked the bag back up himself. "Virgil, honey, what happened?"

Virgil raised his arm and buried his face in his elbow. "Don't patronize me," he growled. "Don't you have a lake to play in? Go away."

"Oh, Virgil..."

Thomas approached Virgil slowly. He remembered that he wasn't really supposed to be in the kitchen, but this seemed important. "Virge...?" Virgil turned away again. "How come your cheeks are all black?"

"...Ugh." Virgil sniffed. He pulled his arm up to wipe the wetness away. "It's my eye liner. I-It smears when I cry, no big deal. Don't worry about it."

Thomas's eyes widened. "You cried?"

"Still crying," Patton corrected. "I won't press you, but can we at least help you get cleaned up? Thomas has some tissues in the makeup bag..." Thomas held up the bag with a concerned smile. "...and I can get you anything else you need. Would an ice pop help?"

Virgil sniffed some more. Sheepishly, he nodded. Patton squeezed between Thomas and Virgil to get to the fridge. Meanwhile, Thomas pulled some tissues from the bag and handed them to Virgil. He also took a few seconds to look at what else was inside the bag: nail polish, foundation, brushes, sponges, and all sorts of other products Thomas had never seen before.

Patton returned with three ice pops, two red and one blue. Virgil chose a red one, as did Thomas, so Patton took the blue. There was a bit of silence as they ate. "Virgil," Patton started softly. He'd been the first to finish his treat. "Thomas and I came in to ask if we could give you a makeover."

"What? Why?"

"Well...don't get mad at him, but-"

Virgil hit his palm to his forehead. "He told you." Thomas winced. Noticing it, Virgil huffed out a frustrated breath, but reached down to ruffle his hair. "Ain't mad at you. To be honest, I kinda figured you would."

Patton nudged Thomas playfully, finally smiling as usual. "Told ya," he whispered. He brought his attention back to Virgil. "I would never imply that you have to change to get Roman to like you. I'm certain Roman enjoys you best when you're being yourself, but surely a makeover couldn't hurt, right?" He grabbed Virgil's free hand and squeezed it. "It might be relaxing too? Please give it a shot. Thomas really wants to try it."

Thomas nodded enthusiastically. "I've never given a makeover before," he added.

Virgil paused. He ended up shrugging and saying, "Sure, I guess." Grinning excitedly, Thomas and Patton nodded and waited for Virgil to finish his ice pop. 

* * *

"I'll start with some foundation," Patton explained once the frozen snack was out of the way about ten minutes later. He and Thomas had picked out a few things for Patton to use while Virgil was finishing up. "Which shade do you usually use?"

Virgil snorted. "Dunno...the pale one?"

"I'll go for this one. It's not the palest, but I don't think a bit of color would hurt." Patton went to put it on before realizing that Virgil was still wearing a coat. "I'm gonna have to clean that first layer off though."

Virgil's cheeks turned pink. "N-No no! No need for that, just move on to the next step!" he urged. He tried to shy away when Patton brought out a soapy dish towel, but he was more or less trapped, so he gave in to his fate.

Thomas was currently pulling out nail polish bottles. He set a few colors he liked on the counter. "Virge, can I paint your nails?" he asked.

Virgil sputtered at the towel being scraped across his skin. "God, not so rough, Pat! And, uh...yeah. Sure. Pick whatever color you want, I'll probably wash 'em later anyway."

Thomas didn't really like the blunt answer. However, since he was technically given the okay, he put away all but two bottles: a dark red and a metallic gold. He pulled at Virgil's hand until the sour counselor held it out to him. Patton finally pulled the towel away and squealed. "Virgiiiiiiil! You have freckles?" Thomas looked up, surprised to find a sea of cute specks covering the bridge of Virgil's nose. "No wonder the foundation's so thick: you were hiding them! You really shouldn't, you know! They make you look so pretty!"

Virgil blushed even harder. "P-Pretty?" He gulped nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand not yet being painted. "I...guess I could stand to be 'pretty' for a little bit. You've got a weird sense of what looks pretty though."

"Nonsense! Thomas, are Virgil's freckles nice?"

"Really nice!"

"See, Virge? And children are often the most honest!"

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Y-Yeah, whatever, just get on with it." 

* * *

The three were so involved with the long, meticulous makeover that when Logan entered the cabin awhile later, exhausted from cleaning the set, nobody realized. He almost walked right by the kitchen, but he noticed the abnormal scene out of the corner of his eye and backed up again.  
He cleared his throat, shocking them all. "What in the world are you three doing?"

Thomas excitedly lifted Virgil's hand, which now had messily painted nails of alternating colors. "Makeover!" he exclaimed.

"Thank God you're not Roman," Virgil sighed with relief.

Patton pulled away from Virgil to point back at the door. "Speaking of: Logan, would you be a dear and distract Roman for us? Can't have him coming in quite yet."

"...At this point, I'm not even going to ask why." Logan crossed his arms. "I'd much rather get cleaned up and relax, though." He rubbed his eyes for a few seconds. "...I was out taking down the set. I need to recharge."

Thomas turned his head up high to maintain eye contact with the tall man. "But it's reeeeeally important!"

Logan was just about to decline again and turn away when Patton hit him with the secret weapon. His eyes got wide and shiny and he jutted his bottom lip just a bit.

"Pleeeeease, Logan? For Virgil?" he begged.

Logan blushed ever so slightly. "Puppy dog eyes? That's a low blow." Virgil chuckled at that. "Fine, but you owe me a favor in return, Patton. It's only fair."

"Yessir! Now get outta here!" With that, Patton began applying mascara. "How do you want this done?"

"Uh...anyway to make 'em like yours?" Virgil asked. "Your eyelashes are, like, beauty goals."

"Aw, you're a sweetheart! I'll try my best!"

Logan rolled his eyes and headed back to the door. He was still mourning over Patton's begging eyes. "How does that expression get to me every time? Pull yourself together, Logan," he muttered to himself.

Roman was heading right for the cabin when Logan got outside. He quickly blocked the door. "Uh, Logan? Could you move?" Roman asked. "I'd like to take a shower, if you don't mind."

Logan's disinterested expression should've given away that he was being set up. Regardless, he quickly wracked his brain for an excuse. "I _would_ mind actually, because...because I need your assistance."

"Whatever for?"

"Oh. Well...I simply need...to find my water bottle! Lost it in the woods this morning, I believe." Logan nodded to himself. "Yes, yes, but I didn't want to be late for the play, so I thought I'd return later. I could use a hand, though."

"Ah, I see!" Roman bowed dramatically. "I accept your request. Please show me the way!"

Practically radiating frustration, Logan headed towards the woods. He glanced back to see Patton smiling and giving him a thumbs up from the side window. Logan couldn't help but relax and return the gesture.

Patton may be difficult, but Logan definitely enjoyed him.

* * *

"You're done, you're done, you're done!"

"Shhh! Someone's gonna hear!" Virgil protested against Patton's squeals. Thomas was awestruck by how nice Virgil looked. With his adorable freckles in full view, dark colored lips, and full eyelashes, he was stunning.

"Roman's gotta like it!" Thomas exclaimed. "He's just gotta!"

Patton nodded. "I guess we'll have to find out! Come on, let's clean up! And Virgil..." Patton pointed at him accusingly. "...Don't touch your face! I don't want anything to smudge!"

"I definitely won't, jeez! You really didn't have to do any of this...but thanks." Virgil pulled his phone out. The camera acted as a mirror and he couldn't stop staring. The new look wasn't unlike himself, but it was accentuated with pure Patton flare. "I look nice," he finally decided.

Just as Patton was about to speak again, the door opened with a loud slam. All three sunk a bit as they heard the arguing coming inside. Logan and Roman had stopped at the doorway, ranting at each other. Something about flowers, a water bottle, and poison ivy? Thomas, certain that he didn't want to know, ran off to put the makeup bag away. Patton quickly followed suit. Now Virgil was more or less on his own.

"Fine! Whatever! Last time I try to help you!" Roman's voice had always been a bit loud, but even this was a bit much. As he approached the kitchen, Virgil acted as if he was texting someone. He could hear Logan storm off somewhere else while Roman walked right by him to get to the fridge. Virgil was impressed by the boys' makeup work, but he'd be mortified if Roman saw him like this.

Of course, Virgil never really had the best luck. Roman seemed to immediately notice something was off about Virgil. Something about him was different from the quick glance he'd gotten. He turned back, an ice pop hanging from his mouth, and his eyes widened. Virgil gave him a nervous frown.

"What?" he snapped.

Roman took the popsicle out. "Nothing! Just..." He smiled. Virgil couldn't help but blush a little with that sincere expression being directed at him. "...You look charming."

"Well...Patton and Thomas did it so don't credit me." He tilted his head back down to return to his phone, but suddenly Roman was right up to the counter, raising his hand to lift Virgil's face back up to get a better look. Staring right into his eyes was frankly embarrassing. "D'ya ever hear about personal bubbles, pretty boy? Don't touch."

"Apologies. I should've asked permission," Roman admitted, quickly pulling away. "I suppose I never knew you had freckles. Or such lovely eyes. Um." He rubbed the back of his neck. Virgil could only stare. Roman being shy? This was definitely a rare picture. "...Oh, and your nails too. They're, um..." Roman held one of Virgil's hands. Polish was caked onto his finger tips. Some managed to make it onto the nail, but at least half of the nail polish used seemed to have ended up everywhere else on Virgil's hands somehow. "...unique?"

Virgil snorted. "Numbskull. Thomas did those. He's a talented little guy, isn't he?"

"Certainly." A honk from outside alerted Roman and surprised Virgil. "Ah, that must be Thomas's parents! That means we're free to go and if I'm to catch my play rehearsal, I'll have to leave immediately." Virgil sucked in a breath when Roman laid a gentle peck on one of the knuckles on his hand. Then, as he ran off, Virgil leaned back against a cupboard, his head making a loud bang as he hit it.

Thomas was running out the door, but as soon as he was out of the cabin, Patton returned. He looked exhausted. Virgil shifted over and Patton joined him on the counter top. Virgil wasn't a huge fan of physical contact, but he didn't really mind Patton leaning up against him like this. He seemed like he was about to pass out, after all.

Patton mumbled, "Did it work?" into Virgil's shoulder.

"Sorta...He kissed my hand."

"Casanova." Patton yawned. "Gosh, Thomas is a handful sometimes." He let his eyes flutter closed while he smiled absentmindedly. "Love 'im though."

"D'ya need a ride home? I'm sure Logan wouldn't mind taking the both of us."

Patton sighed. "Wouldn't he...?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. C'mon, big guy. We've been through a lot today."

Once joined by Logan, the remaining counselors tidied up the cabin and began walking out. Virgil was sure to leave sleepy Patton to Logan as a sign of solidarity. Though he attempted to stay stoic, Logan couldn't help but stammer when Patton was leaning up against him, babbling about fishing and eyeliner as he tried to stay awake. Virgil laughed harder that night than he had in awhile.

Though he wasn't an optimistic person, Virgil found himself quite happy with the way things had turned out so far. Maybe he could trust Patton with his secrets after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this suffices as another part to the AU! Thank you so much for reading! Kudos are very appreciated and if you leave a comment, I will be forever in your debt.


End file.
